Colin Ackermann continues to stand between Nottinghamshire and victory as he survives a difficult morning session to reach lunch unbeaten on 73.

Durham lost two early wickets to Dillon Pennington, but since then Ackermann and Graham Clark (22*) have begun to find runs easier to come by in an attritional session.

The visitors need 24 more runs for parity and towards saving the match.

Job done so far for Worcestershire as they continue to hold up Somerset’s victory charge.

The visitors have lost just one wicket this morning - that of nightwatchman Adam Finch - as Brett D’Oliveira’s superb 248-ball vigil continues. He goes to lunch on 99, while Matthew Waite is unbeaten on 22.

The seventh wicket is now worth 49 and brought the deficit down to a still huge 179.

Image source, Rex Features

Essex can scent victory and Surrey are doing their best to help them.

Ollie Pope's ill-advised drive at Shane Snater and Jamie Smith's calamitous run out have gifted the home side two wickets while Rory Burns was pinned LBW by Simon Harmer.

Dom Sibley likes to and knows how to bat long and Surrey need him to stick around.

Dropped catchpublished at 119 overs

119 overs

Middx 260 & 405-9 v Lancs 359

Another one goes down.

TRJ comes down the track and tries to loft George Balderson over mid-off.

Tom Bailey jumps and gets both hands to it but he can't hold on.

One more over before lunch, to be bowled by Luke Wells - Middlesex lead by 306.

Dropped catchpublished at 118.2 overs

118.2 overs

Middx 260 & 402-9 v Lancs 359

Technically a chance.

Zafar Gohar thrashes the ball straight back at bowler George Balderson, who can't hang onto the catch - and no surprise really as he only had a second to react.

He'll be happy to escape without injury.

Zafar Gohar has 'caught the mood'.

He batters two succesive fours off Ollie Sutton and then lofts over mid-on. The ball plugs on landing but he jogs through for a single to end an eventful over.

50 partnershippublished at 12:55 BST 7 April

12:55 BST 7 April

Notts 579 v Durham 378 & 174-5

So nearly a breakthrough as Lyndon James squares up Graham Clark who edges low towards second slip.

Freddie McCann dives to his left but the ball is agonisingly just out of reach.

A brilliant diving stop from Farhan Ahmed then denies Colin Ackermann a boundary and keeps him to a single.

Ackermann takes an umpteenth single of the morning to bring up the 50 partnership off 108 balls.

Now what is Ben Foakes doing?

The man who made an unbeaten 92 in the first innings shoulders arms to a Simon Harmer delivery and it thuds into his pads.

Cue a loud and confident appeal for LBW.

Not out is the decision but Surrey hearts are in their mouths.

Good over from Archie Vaugan

Brett D'Oliveira gets down looking for a big sweep but misses and is struck. Big shout but it's nowhere near lbw. Odd shot.

Vaughan then gets one to turn sharply and bounces up over off-stump.

Whether spooked or not by the spin, D'Oliveira is coaxed into another unusual shot as he looks to go big and pull the young spinner through the legside.

One hand comes off the bat as he makes contact and it plops safely in the deep for two. D'Oliveira to 94.

Postpublished at 116.2 overs

116.2 overs

Middx 260 & 384-8 v Lancs 359

Looks like Max Holden has 'heard from the dressing room'.

He pulls Ollie Sutton for six and then flails at a wide one, he doesn't make the best of contacts but it brings him a couple.

The left-hander is now 183 not out and the lead is 285.

Rob Yates has wheeled away unchanged from the pavilion end all morning with his off spin. And done a very tidy holding job too.

He goes slightly wide and Tom Alsop is finally able to break the shackles with a cut for four.

Vishwa Fernando then puts in a short mid-on for the left-handed John Simpson and almost has him caught there - but Simpson just about steers his flick wide of the fielder and out to the wide long-on fence for his first boundary.

Simon Harmer gets one past the outside edge of Jamie Smith's bat and then with his final delivery the ball loops up and is brilliantly caught by a diving Charlie Allison at short-leg.

For all that effort it's a shame it only came off Smith's pad.

For Dom Sibley's family - he's still there unbeaten on 18 from 92 balls.

Josh Tongue strays down the legside and Graham Clark swivels and helps it round the corner, down to the fine leg boundary for four.

Haseeb Hameed responds by inserting a leg slip.

A single takes Clark to 15.

It's hard to believe that Middlesex were 7-3 at one stage in this innings.

Tom Bailey kicks the air in frustration after being no-balled for over-stepping from round the wicket.

The lead is now 277.

"The longer they keep Lancashire out here, the more vulnerable they might be when they come out to bat," says BBC Radio Lancashire's Scott Read.

Farhan Ahmed has yet to cause any real alarms for the Durham batters as Colin Ackermann and Graham Clark are happy to milk a few singles.

The young spinner then fires one down the legside which Ackermann and wicketkeeper Joe Clarke both miss. Four byes.

The sixth-wicket partnership is up to 37 and deficit down to 41. The hosts would love to break it before lunch.

Yeah, the Paul Walter experiment is over for Essex - Matt Critchley replaces him and we have spin at both ends.

Kasey Aldridge gets a little extra bounce outside the off-stump and draws a rare loose shot from Brett D'Oliveira.

He wafts at it but misses. He's swiftly back into textbook defence, but is then lured into an almost identical play and miss.

Aldridge is making something from nothing here. He's had a cracking match so far.

Two from the over takes D'Oliveira to 92 and the partnership to 39.